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6: Chromosomal Inheritance

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    • 6.1: DNA is Packaged into Chromatin
      DNA packaging organizes chromosomes while regulating access to their sequences. Chromatin structure, chromosome landmarks, replication origins, and telomeres explain how long DNA molecules are compacted, copied, and maintained.
    • 6.2: Mitosis
      Mitosis separates sister chromatids so that daughter cells receive matching chromosome sets. Following chromosome movement through each stage explains how cell division preserves genetic information.
    • 6.3: Meiosis
      Homologous chromosomes separate in meiosis I, and sister chromatids separate in meiosis II. Following prophase I, crossing over, and both divisions explains how chromosome number is reduced and allele combinations change.
    • 6.4: Karyotypes Describe Chromosome Number and Structure
      Chromosome size, centromere position, and banding patterns identify chromosomes in a karyogram. Comparing chromosome sets distinguishes autosomes from sex chromosomes and reveals extra, missing, or rearranged chromosome material.
    • 6.5: Polyploidy Arises from Changes in Whole Sets of Chromosomes
      Polyploidy changes the number of complete chromosome sets. Distinguishing the basic chromosome set from gamete chromosome content explains ploidy notation, chromosome counts, and the fertility of different polyploids.
    • 6.6: Sex-Linkage- An Exception to Mendel’s First Law
      Reciprocal crosses reveal how X-linked and Z-linked alleles produce different outcomes in male and female offspring. Comparisons of sex determination and dosage compensation explain how sex chromosome composition affects phenotype.
    • 6.7: Example punnet square for sex-linked recessive trait
      A worked Punnett square demonstrates how to predict offspring outcomes for a sex-linked recessive trait.
    • 6.8: X-linked inheritance
      X-linked crosses require tracking which parent supplies each offspring's X chromosome. Fruit fly and hemophilia examples show how to infer genotypes and calculate outcomes separately for sons and daughters.

    6: Chromosomal Inheritance is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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